Templeton, Mass.,
Oct. 22, 1905.Dear Lucy:-
Again I fear I must cut you a little short on the letter question as I went for a long long walk. Nellie & I were going for a short walk but Mr. Miles decided to go with us so we went for a long one. We went up the south road and turned off into the fields and went across the golf links to the spring where the water for the Inn comes from. Then we went up to the road again going through the yard of the Ryan house to do so. There were a lot of hens & chickens by the barn. Nellie picked up a chicken and it got away from her. We went out to the road & the whole flock started after us as fast as they could go. I don't know whether they wanted to eat us or not. Out in the fields we found two fringed gentians We went out past Mr. Braithwaite's & Mr. Coy's. There were lots of acorns by the side of the road & we had lots of fun throwing them at each other. I found a buttercup. Wasn't that good for the 22nd of Oct? There was a bluejay in one of the trees. We turned in at the foot of the hill, below Mr. Coy's & got into the Cook lot. There was an awful big pile of sawdust out there. When we came back we saw a field where there were lots of robins, Nellie counted twenty-four. Mr. Allen is here to-night so my writing is a little disturbed.
G.H.S. beat Holy Cross Preps 11 to 6 yesterday. Wasn't that fine? Bent played I suppose even though he has sprained his ankle & broken his finger. Mary Priest has appendicitis but the last I heard she was more comfortable.
Rhetoricals Wednesday were unfortunate. Cora Fairbanks couldn't go through her piece & we had a repetition of Bent's performance last year only Drake was the one this time. He got up on the stage & the boys got him to laughing so that he forgot his piece. His subject was "Evolution" & it contained some big words which amused the boys. I fancy Walter Greenwood was one of [the] principal ones. I should just like to get him out of class for he sits & laughs at & makes faces at the ones who are on the stage. I think he is just horrid. He ought to be more sober next time for he has to speak but I doubt if he will have. I don't know whether Drake will have another chance or not but I think he most ought to.
I will send you some more questions on Burke but don't quite murder your scholars. We have an exam. to-morrow on all the Greek History we have had this year. Won't that be great?
I had the pleasing experience of being on the car when it went off the track. I never was on at such a time before. It was quite a bad go-off I guess. It happened down at the switch so I walked home. I stopped at Edith's. She was real happy. Her uncle was down in his automobile last Sunday & took she & the baby up to her father's. As Edith had no place to put the front door key she gave to him & told him to be sure not to forget it. She reminded him of it several times but he went off with it.
Mama wants to know if you can't write a poem on Mt. Wachuset, or Mt. Tom or Mt. Monadnock or some of the other mountains in Mass. for her to read at the Wellington Club. If they asked who wrote it Mama said she could say Anonymous. Are you coming home this week? We should be very glad to see you but Mama says you must do what you think best. Thank you for the birth-day wishes. Auntie wrote that she would send something but as it hasn't appeared I think it must be an automobile & a nice young man to run it. I guess it has broken down on the way. I have received a souvenir postal card from Auntie with a picture of "Sunny side" on it & two from Cousin Emma. One was a picture of some cats gardening & the other the "Flat iron Building." We expect Auntie home the last of this week. We had our first frost last night so things look sorry. I am sending Auntie a cosmo. Just think of it.
With lots of love, X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X Molly. X X X X
P.S. Friday is the convention at Greenfield so we get the day off & then Thurs. the teachers are going to have a visiting day so we shall have a nice vacation. M.L.B.